Search found 26 matches
- Sun Jan 20, 2008 5:00 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: abbreviate, brevity and brief...
- Replies: 5
- Views: 23304
abbreviate, brevity and brief...
Abbreviate (V): shorten (a word, phrase, or text). This word can be split up as "ad" (as in ad infinitum (without limit)) which means "to" + "breviare" which is verb root, in turn it comes from the Latin root "brevis", which means "short". So abbrevi...
- Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:11 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Endorse and dorsal...
- Replies: 1
- Views: 17803
Endorse and dorsal...
Endorse (V): 1) sign, superscribe, autograph. 2) approve, support. This word can be split up as "in" which here means "on" + "dorsum" which means "back", the word gets its meaning from the practice of adding comments on the back of a document in order to exten...
- Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:11 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Stellar, Constellation
- Replies: 1
- Views: 25737
Stellar, Constellation
The other day I was watching the movie 'Italian job' in which "Charlize Theron" stars as "Stella Bridger". She is really good at picking locks. Her name fascinated me as it was sounded similar to some of the words that I knew. I will discuss these words in this post. Stellar (Adj...
- Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:46 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Euphemism and blasphemy
- Replies: 13
- Views: 46204
Euphemism and blasphemy
Euphemism (N): A figure of speech in which an offensive, harsh or blunt word or expression is avoided and one that is milder but precise or accurate is used instead. This word can be broken as "eu" which means, "good, well" + "pheme", "speaking", some more cog...
- Fri Dec 07, 2007 7:45 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Rustic and rusticate
- Replies: 3
- Views: 22101
Rustic and rusticate
Rustic (adj): 1) having to do with the life in country. 2) simple and charming in a way seen typical of the countryside. Contextual example: Each day the rustic scenes (rural) from his village made him feel nostalgic, finally Mohan decided that he would leave US and go back to Charanpur. Guess which...
Germania
Carousal (N): A bout of carousing, a drunken revel. This word can be split as "gar" which means "all" + "aus" which has a lots of meanings in German language but in this context it means "out", the word comes from the German term, gar aus trinken, which means ...
- Sun Aug 26, 2007 4:12 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Loquacious anyone? words from the root loqui
- Replies: 5
- Views: 24985
Loquacious anyone? words from the root loqui
Loquacious (adj): talkative, garrulous. This word comes from the Latin root “loqui” which means “to talk”. Contextual example: Listening to her loquacious boyfriend’s drab talk made her sleepy. Circumlocution (N): the use of many words where fewer would do. This word can be broken as “cirum” (as in ...
- Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:17 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Words coming from the root acro...
- Replies: 6
- Views: 47745
Words coming from the root acro...
Acrophobia (N): an abnormal fear of high places. This word comes form the Latin root “akron” which literally means “extreme”, but the root also has the following meanings “top, summit, tip, beginning”. In this word the root is used to signify a phobia of high places. The root “phobia” (as in claustr...
- Fri Aug 10, 2007 4:47 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Something to ponder over
- Replies: 2
- Views: 12456
Something to ponder over
imponderable (adj): difficult or impossible to assess, without appreciable weight. The word comes from Latin root “ponderare” which means “to weigh”, this word can be split as “im” which means “not” (as in impossible) + “ponderable” which means “able to weighed”. Contextual example: The engineer rem...
- Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:22 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: vitrum = glass, words related to this root :)
- Replies: 9
- Views: 32213
- Tue Aug 07, 2007 1:26 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: vitrum = glass, words related to this root :)
- Replies: 9
- Views: 32213
vitrum = glass, words related to this root :)
Vitreous (adj): resembling or containing glass. This word comes from the Latin root “vitreus” which means “glassy, transparent”. This root in turn is derived from Latin root “vitrum” which means “glass”. A term which is cognate to this root is “in vitro” which means “in glass”; you may have seen thi...
- Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:57 am
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Am I correct ? :)
- Replies: 4
- Views: 16781
Am I correct ? :)
Rectify (V): set right; correct This word comes from the Latin root “rectus”, which means “right”, so to rectify something is to set it right. On further analysis of this root I came to know that this root actually comes from the verb root “regere”, which means “to lead straight”, “to direct”. Conte...
- Sun May 27, 2007 3:13 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Vagrant thoughts...
- Replies: 1
- Views: 11217
Vagrant thoughts...
Vagary (N): whim, caprice This word comes form the “Latin” root “vagary” which means “to wander, or to roam”, this root can be further hacked up as “vagus” which means wandering. Guys and gals do you remember the model by name “Caprice Bourret”, create a mnemonic relating her vagaries with the word ...
- Sun May 27, 2007 3:11 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Lucifer and Lucid are cognates
- Replies: 12
- Views: 45348
- Sat May 19, 2007 2:37 pm
- Forum: Etymology
- Topic: Lucifer and Lucid are cognates
- Replies: 12
- Views: 45348
Lucifer and Lucid are cognates
Lucid (adj): 1) easily understood, clear, intelligible. 2) Showing an ability to think clearly. This word comes from the Latin root “Lucidus” which means “bright”. Contextual example: Because of the professors lucid explanation the abstruse theory of quantum physics started to seem a tad more manage...